A country gentleman and hobby bureaucrat ponders a world moving faster than he is entirely comfortable with...

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Sometimes, just sometimes, Government enables rather than interfering...

News reaches me of that a new service is being tested that ensures people only have to tell the government once about births and deaths. The 'Tell Us Once' service is being piloted to see if it is feasible for people to report their changes to the government only once. In particular, the service aims to make it easier for vulnerable people faced with major upheavals such as bereavement.

A senior HMRC official, Bernadette Kenny, said, “Something like a death in the family is incredibly difficult to deal with, especially if it triggers major financial changes. The last thing a person wants to do is inform several government departments about their loss. This service will mean fewer processes and paperwork, which will help people deal more easily with issues such as housing, tax credits and benefits”.

If all goes well, the Department of Work and Pensions, who are hosted the pilot, plans to run a larger pilot – called a Pathfinder – this autumn.

About Me

Fiscal conservative and perpetually surprised country dweller, I learn something every day about life in a small country village.
When I'm not at work, I slip seamlessly into my second role as husband of, and consort to, my wife, Ros.

A map of Creeting St Peter

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